If you have read my blog before you will know that I have a certain disdain for sequels. So you may be wondering, "Pdelponte, how did this sequel make your list of standouts? Don't you hate sequels?". Well first off I am a native of Colorado so the prospect of driving 150mph down I-70 is very exciting to me. Second, this instalment of Forza departs from the typical Forza we have seen before with a very closed world that focuses on global racing circuits and instead gives us a very open world that focuses on street racing and the culture that surrounds it. From this perspective it is not really a sequel at all and is something new and exciting. Not to mention that it does NOT look like it was pulled from the latest Fast & Furious.

I am always impressed by new and innovative ideas in gaming. Watch Dogs isn't a completely new idea in gaming; it looks a lot like the open world of GTA, but the hacker style gameplay is what stood out as new to me. I can see myself having hours of fun causing traffic accidents by hacking the traffic signals and watching the road rage ensue.

Now this is a game that is truly new and innovative. Watching the demo on IGN's live stream made me want to buy a PS3. It reminded me of LIMBO a bit in that it has minimal instruction and part of the game is just figuring out what you are there to do. It looks very promising and a welcome departure from the money driven, sequel obsessed, excessively violent, and utterly unoriginal games that were featured at E3.

This game looks AWESOME!!! Well "looks" isn't the right word. When watching the demo on IGN's live stream my roommate pointed out that the engine looked old. Which I agreed and noted that it looked a lot like Bioshock's engine. But graphics and engine have never been a big selling point for me in games (I think Minecraft is one if the best games of this decade). I have always put gameplay above graphics and engine and the gameplay in Dishonored looks to be amazing. What impressed me most was that in Dishonored there isn't one "right" way to compete a task. Much like in Fallout 3 (one of my Top Ten of all time) the player has many options for competing a task. You can be stealthy and tactical, headstrong and brutal, quick and overwhelming (I love the rat swarms you can summon), or any combination you choose. Its all about playing how you like, not how the game wants you to play. Also the steampunk art style is something I haven't seen done this well in a game before.

Well there you have it. What stood out to you at E3? Agree or disagree with my assessment? Let me know and leave a comment. And thanks again to IGN for the great coverage.